Paul Klee (1879-1940)The Ernst Beyeler collection

Paul Klee is one of the leading artists in the Ernst and Hildy Beyeler collection on show at the Beyeler Foundation near Basle. Ernst Beyeler, one of the most important gallery owners of the 20th century, took an interest in Klee's work very early on, attracted above all by the poetry and musicality of his work. He started buying drawings and paintings in the 1950s, first from collectors, then later from Felix Klee, the artist's son

The works selected for the exhibition at the Orangerie represent the major stages in the painter's creative development, while at the same time reflecting Beyeler's preference for Klee's later work. The focus is therefore on the later years (1938-1940), marked by coloured backgrounds punctuated by strong black and brown lines. The collector himself referred to the spectacular increase in Klee's artistic expression at the end of his life. Beyeler speaks of "a move towards a tragic dimension, towards a dramatic vision that includes other worlds".

The presentation of these magnificent works by Klee at the Orangerie enables Parisian art lovers to rediscover an artist who is today regarded as one of the major references for modern art. It is also a tribute to Ernst Beyeler who died on 25 February 2010.